Tuesday, July 29, 2014

The Beautiful and Celebrated Prima Donna -- July 29, 2014

Motography, 04-July-1914
George Middleton, a San Francisco automobile dealer, married beautiful  musical comedy actress Beatriz Michelena in San Francisco in 1907. She left the stage for while, then returned in 1910. In 1912, Middleton, son of a famous family in the lumber business, founded the California Motion Picture Company in San Rafael, north of San Francisco. At first he made promotional films for his auto business, but in 1914 he began to produce dramatic features starring his wife. Salomy Jane still survives and is very impressive. Most of the CMPC movies were destroyed in a fire.

Motography, 04-July-1914
"This corporation, which is devoting its time exclusively to feature adaptions from famous books, plays and operas, has been carrying on actual operations at the base of Mount Tamalpais since the first of May... The title role in the motion picture adaption will be assumed by Beatriz Michelena, the beautiful and celebrated prima donna, the announcement of whose debut before the screen has already caused a sensation in theatrical circles." 
Motography, 11-July-1914

Moving Picture World, 11-July-1914

Salomy Jane appears on Disc One of Treasures From the American Film Archives, The West.  The Beautiful and Celebrated Prima Donna was very good:
http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com/2012/01/treasures-5-west-1-january-11-2012.html

No comments:

Post a Comment

Comment moderation is turned on. Your message will appear after it has been reviewed.